People working as baggers, cashiers and stock boys are common at a grocery store.

But how many chefs do you expect to see?

Giant Eagle's revamped Market District store at 1700 Corporate Woods Parkway has 11 chefs on board. That doesn't include the occasional guest chef — Tyler Florence from the Food Network stopped in last week.

In addition to all of those chefs, the Market District has added trained cheesemongers, a wine steward and a dietitian to the staff of 275 full- and part-time employees.

Why? "It's all really about educating the customer," said Michelle O'Brien, store leader of the Market District store, the eighth opened by Giant Eagle.

This past year, the Pittsburgh chain added 23,000 square feet to the store, remodeled and rebranded. The Giant Eagle Market District had its grand opening Thursday.

JUST THE START

Area grocers have taken notice of Green and the many families that fill its sprawling neighborhoods.

Changes to the Giant Eagle store come as Acme Fresh Market begins building a store and Buehler's Fresh Foods has purchased the former Portage Lakes IGA on the city's west side.

The changes mean new grocery options for Green residents.

Akron-based Acme is building the store not far from the Giant Eagle on undeveloped land at the corner of Massillon and Graybill roads. The development is called Heritage Crossings and the Acme store — it will be about 73,000 square feet — and will anchor a retail plaza with two smaller buildings.

The new store will be Acme's 16th, and is in a convenient and central location for Green residents, said Jim Trout, executive vice president for the chain. "If we're going to be in Green, that's the place to be."

Wooster-based Buehler's, meanwhile, has opted to try a different format. The company updated, but didn't enlarge the IGA store at 4045 S. Main St. At just under 18,000 square feet, the store is dwarfed by its nearby competitors, as well as by Buehler's closest store in Jackson Township.

But that's an option Buehler's wants to try, said Bob Buehler, vice president of marketing. The location is similar in size to a store Buehler's has operated for many years in downtown Wooster.

"We found out there's a customer who likes a store that's clean and friendly, with a lot of fresh product, that's easy to get in an out of," Buehler said.

TRY IT, BUY IT

The Market District store will be the largest in Green. Giant Eagle has owned the store for more than 10 years, when they bought it from the Olszeski family.

Much of the 23,000-square-foot addition is being used as a restaurant area, with offerings that include pizza, Asian dishes and sushi. Customers also can enjoy a glass of wine or beer with their meal.

Page 2 of 2 - It's likely that some folks will stop in for lunch or dinner before doing their shopping, O'Brien said.

Or they might decide that the grocery store is a great place for a date. The wine department and restaurant have teamed up for events aimed at drawing customers in to try the products sold in the Market District store. Friday night "Six for $6" events have drawn crowds of more than 200 people, said Bill Krauss, the store's wine steward. "It has become date night," he said.

Dan Donovan, a company spokesman, said Giant Eagle started its Market District stores in Pittsburgh in 2006. Over the past two years, the concept has taken off, with the grocery chain opening three in Ohio — others are in Columbus and Solon — this year. "It's a concept customers are drawn to," Donovan said.

PLENTY OF OPTIONS

Acme hopes to have the Green location — its first new store in more than a decade — open by early summer, Trout said.

Until the store opens, shoppers who prefer Acme likely are going to the chain's stores in North Canton or the Coventry area. "We weren't convenient to the city of Green at all," Trout said.

Once open, customers can expect to find the products and departments they have grown used to at other Acme locations. That includes produce, bakery and other specialty departments, as well as the natural organic foods. The 73,000 square feet is just about the right size for packing in all of those selections and services, Trout said.

Similar offerings can be found at the Buehler's location, which features a bakery, craft beer selections and other specialties. Bob Buehler said the company's market research showed that Green is a good area to try a store with a smaller format.

"We've got a lot of the right things that people are looking for," Buehler said.